HBA-DMD H.B. 311 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 311 By: Madden Elections 2/23/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, election polling places require equipment and personnel which can be very costly to a county with precincts with small or no population. H.B. 311 authorizes the commissioners court of a county to submit recommendations to the secretary of state concerning the elimination of county election precincts with small or no population after the precincts have undergone redistricting. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 42, Election Code, by adding Section 42.010, as follows: Sec. 42.010. RECOMMENDATION ON ELIMINATION OF LESS POPULOUS PRECINCTS. (a) Authorizes the commissioners court to submit recommendations to the secretary of state concerning the elimination of county election precincts with small or no population after territorial units of a congressional district, a state representative district, a state senatorial district, or a State Board of Education district have undergone redistricting. (b) Establishes that the recommendations submitted to the secretary of state must be submitted in the manner prescribed by the secretary. (c) Requires the secretary of state to evaluate all timely submitted recommendations and to compile those recommendations which the secretary determines will allow for the elimination of the county election precincts in a manner consistent with state and federal law. (d) Requires the secretary of state to file a report containing the information described in Subsection (c) with the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives, not later than the date the first regular legislative session convenes after redistricting of a territorial unit, and if the information submitted is insufficient for the compilation required, the secretary is required to include a statement in the report to that effect. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.